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Red Seal Cook Exam (Interprovincial)

C. Produce: practice questions

Our Red Seal Cook bank has 19 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.

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Question 1

Toasting whole spices such as cumin seeds in a dry pan before grinding:

  1. Removes all their flavour so they can be used as colour
  2. Releases their volatile oils and deepens the flavour
  3. Makes them safe to eat raw
  4. Turns them into a paste
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B. Releases their volatile oils and deepens the flavour — Dry-roasting whole spices releases aromatic oils; the RSOS lists roasting among herb and spice processing techniques.

Question 2

What size is a brunoise cut?

  1. About 6 mm (1/4 in.) cubes
  2. About 12 mm (1/2 in.) cubes
  3. About 2 cm (3/4 in.) cubes
  4. About 3 mm (1/8 in.) cubes
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D. About 3 mm (1/8 in.) cubes — Brunoise is a 1/8 in. (3 mm) cube; fine brunoise is 1/16 in. (1.5 mm).

Question 3

Which cut produces flat squares, rounds or triangles about 1.2 cm × 1.2 cm × 3 mm?

  1. Tourné
  2. Paysanne
  3. Chiffonade
  4. Brunoise
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B. Paysanne — Paysanne items are flat, about 1/2 × 1/2 × 1/8 in. (1.2 cm × 1.2 cm × 3 mm).

Question 4

Sliced apples and avocados brown quickly once cut. Which RSOS processing method slows this?

  1. Salting heavily and drying
  2. Leaving them uncovered at room temperature so the cut surface can dry out
  3. Acidulating (for example, coating with lemon juice)
  4. Sprinkling them with baking soda
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C. Acidulating (for example, coating with lemon juice) — Acidulation (lemon or other acid) slows enzymatic browning; the RSOS lists acidulating among processing methods.

Question 5

Green vegetables are cooked with a little baking soda. What happens?

  1. They turn olive drab and stay firm
  2. They turn red and become tough
  3. Colour stays bright but texture turns mushy and vitamins are lost
  4. Nothing changes in colour or texture; baking soda only affects starch and sugar
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C. Colour stays bright but texture turns mushy and vitamins are lost — Alkalis such as baking soda keep chlorophyll green but break down cell walls and destroy some vitamins, so it is not recommended.

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